What is Advent All About?

by David Peck

Pastor's Marcis and Rollins preparing the Angel for Candlelight Service

With Thanksgiving now past the Christmas Season is fast approaching. In fact, the days between Thanksgiving are the shortest in 2019. But that time between these two festive holidays is the season in Christendom known as Advent. It is the beginning of the new Church year and so it is a time of preparation: preparing for Christ’s First Advent, or coming, which we celebrate as Christmas, while also preparing for His Second Coming, when He will come in glory to judge both “the living and the dead.”

Because Advent points to Christ and Christmas, it is a time of preparation for St. John Nottingham as well. SJN has come to be known as a very welcoming and special place to be on Christmas Eve for its always creative Candlelight Christmas themes. This year the theme is “God Keeps His Promises to Us.”.

In the Bible, angels were used by God to act as “messengers”. SJN is planning to use an “Angel” theme this year at its Candlelight Worship Service to bring out the understanding of Christians being “messengers” of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world around us.

You can join with other Christians as they gather at St. John for Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship on December 24 at 8:00pm. There will also be a Christmas Day Worship Service of Carols Christmas morning at 9:45am for those who would like to start this joyous day of celebration in worship.

So as the Advent Season gets underway prepare for the celebration to come on December 25 and stay prepared for final Advent when Christ returns!